switcheroo

From the moment I knew I was pregnant I've had one thought on the brain. Boy! I was eagerly looking forward to my 16th week of pregnancy to confirm discover the gender. Little Baby had other ideas and didn't cooperate fully for that ultrasound. Though my OB's best effort indicated it was indeed a little boy. However, last week my OB wasn't so sure and told me to have the peri check it today. Let me just say that this whole time I've been focusing on a little boy I have also, in the back of my head, been sure it would then turn out to be a little girl just because that is the way it works. So, I was mentally prepared for today's announcement, even though not necessarily expecting it. Cody, however, was a bit giddy when they told us with certainty Little Baby is a GIRL! So Little Baby is now officially Little Sister. :)

All looked well today with my ultrasound, and (thank you Lord!) my cervix is still nice and long. Little Sister looked "perfect" said the peri, except for one small thing. Apparently I am eating too much sugar because Little Sister's kidneys were too full. I'll go off on a tangent here and let you know that the first thing my OB told me about this peri is to take what she says with a grain to salt and do not freak out until I speak directly to him. This peri is a diabetes specialist and is very serious about that aspect of her work. I do drink regular Dr. Peppers occasionally (while pregnant, otherwise I drink diet), and I just happen to have a movie sized box of Sweet Tarts in my car I've been eating on for the last few days. I also love anything bread, and french fries are my food of choice. So, I concede I might could try to lose some of the starches and sugar. I will talk to my OB about it next week, and in the mean time I will do my utmost to not get mad when Cody tells me I can't have my waffle fries and lemonade from Chick-fil-a.

little turkey

this and that

I feel like I haven't posted in forever. My days seem to fly away faster than I realize. We're all here and (thankfully) well. Rhys and I have gotten our H1N1 vaccine - yikes! - and I'm feeling much better that we've taken every precaution (in addition to being germ freaks) to keep us healthy. I really did not want to get it for him (or myself), but given our current family situation I didn't feel either of us could risk it. But boy did I have to scheme to get it for him! The pedi notified patients via e-mail that they received the shot version last Thursday. So I called to make an appointment never dreaming it would be total chaos. The office opens at 9 a.m., and by 9:30 (I had to call for 30 minutes to get anyone to answer the phone) they had quit making the required separate, to-get-the-vaccine-only, appointment. I was furious. There was absolutely no priority for who received the vaccine. I was told to call back Monday morning and they'd be making additional appointments provided there were vaccines still available. I called again first thing Monday morning and got through at 9:05 a.m. Awesome, I should have no problem now! But wait, they were now not making additional appointments until Tuesday. Um, sorry not acceptable that my 23 weeker is getting no consideration. I don't expect special treatment for my child for anything other than he is legitimately HIGH RISK! So, I schemed. I made Rhys an appointment to get his allergy sniffle checked out, which needed to be checked anyway to make sure his lungs and ears were okay, in hopes he could get the vaccine while he was there. They had an opening for a pedi visit that morning, so I get Rhys ready and into the office lickety split, all the while expecting a line out the door. Imagine my surprise when I get there and see only a handful of people waiting in the lobby. Not only that, but the receptionists were now telling people they were out of the vaccine completely. I was irked, but quickly discovered from the pedi that they did in fact have the vaccine and they were all too happy to give it to Rhys. I was glad we did in fact get the vaccine for Rhys, but I am still seriously annoyed I had to go to such lengths.

Rhys is such a funny little guy. He is loving the Pediasure and seems to be growing like a weed. He's gained nearly a pound since switching over and is starting to look more like a toddler than a baby. He is still taking things at his own pace, but he is definitely gaining more strength in his torso and arms. The coordination in his right arm is catching up to his left, though he is still a lefty more often than not. He can push himself up now and acts like he really wants to start moving. He'll bring his legs forward one at a time, but he just doesn't quite get it yet. He is still a ways from coordinating everything all together, but it's exciting seeing his progress nonetheless. We recently found him a (second) pair of shoes that are hard sole, but not so hard that he refuses to use his feet, as we found was the case with the first pair we purchased (and had to return) for him. We are really pushing new foods, trying to make him branch out from his yogurt and ice cream. He'll eat his yogurt or ice cream with his graham crackers crunched up in it (for texture) but he wont he mushed mac and cheese or spaghetti. He loves all his finger foods and will try to feed himself most anything you put in front of him, but we're still working on adequate chewing. His gag reflex is all but gone, though there are still a few occasions where something will get stuck in the back of his throat and he wants it out.

His four top teeth are now all poking through and partially in, and you can occasionally catch a peek of them when he smiles. He is still crabby a lot of time at night so we think they are still bothering him, or maybe he has some new ones working on coming through. Since the time change Rhys has been waking at 6 a.m. every morning. Who knew that a one hour time difference would make my child wake two hours earlier?! Sheesh, that has been a hard adjustment for me. I am trying to transition Rhys to only one nap a day. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. If he takes two naps a day he tends to fight bed time and/or wakes several times at night so I try really hard to keep him up and make him tired for one good nap after lunch and then a decent bed time.

All seems to be well with Little Baby too. My hips have seriously started to ache lately, which is odd because I never felt this with the boys. It could partially be because of the cold weather moving in and out. I finally have a real baby bump instead of a squishy beer looking belly. I have felt fluttering and occasional little thuds but not much movement overall. The minimal belly growth and baby movement (as compared to last time) has had me a bit worried that something was off, but I am comparing to the only other thing I know which is not the norm. I get a quick mini ultrasound (no audible heartbeat check, only from the screen) at every OB visit so I am certain they'd notice anything irregular. I have my 20 week anatomy scan next week so I am excited to see how Little Baby is growing. Tonight the home health nurse who gives my 17P injections (which btw hurt like h-e-double hockey sticks tonight) used her little machine and we found the heartbeat. As of yet we still do not know if said heartbeat belongs to a baby boy or a baby girl. One week it's a girl, the next it's a boy and so on and so forth. My OB finally threw up his hands and told me to let the perinatal doctor call it next week!

Since the home health nurse has been reviewing signs to watch for I've been concerned that maybe I wouldn't be able to recognize contractions if I were having them. That sounds ridiculous but when they tell me back aches and pelvic pressure, both of which I've had, can be signs of contractions I get a little confused. I truly don't think I am having them, but my situation isn't one where I can afford to be mistaken. So, I told this to my OB and I think I might have scared him a little. I also remembered to ask him about the throbbing/pulsing I'd been feeling occasionally. He looked a bit alarmed before he understood what I was telling him, and explained that it was increased blood flow and nothing to be worried about. So, because of my two concerns he is trying to get my home monitor and terbutaline pump now instead of in two week. Man! But, anything to keep Little Baby cooking for the next 18 weeks!

little baby update

My age now officially belongs to a new decade and I can no longer claim to be in my 20's. I'm not an age person at all but man that stinks! :) We had a little birthday get together today and I asked Cody to snap a picture since I don't have any pregnant pictures yet. I don't really have many from my last pregnancy either, so I should try to get a few more this time around.

Little Baby looked good last week at my checkup. I started my 17P injections (progesterone) last Thursday so the preparation/planning is slowly being phased in. An RN from home health comes to our house to give the injection and provides a bit of "signs to watch for" refresher as well. She seems very knowledgeable and friendly and I am thankful for her service. I know I've mentioned it before but I h-a-t-e needles, and Cody tells me the needle for this shot is ginormous (I didn't look else I probably wouldn't have let her stick me). The medicine is delivered deep in the muscle and is injected slowly. The shot itself wasn't so bad but the prolonged injection makes the muscles ache. Needless to say I will not be eagerly awaiting her weekly visits.

This pregnancy is very similar to my previous pregnancy, but at the same time it's also very different. I've had the same symptoms as with the boys, but on a much different scale. Everything with the twins was multiplied to a higher degree. That is all I've known so I keep expecting a repeat. I stare at my belly worrying that Little Baby isn't growing enough, but then I remember oh wait there's only one! I packed on the pounds with the boys, despite never being hungry, and my belly grew visibly from day to day. While I have been hungry this time around, and have gained a good amount of weight, it isn't really showing so much. I will just say that maybe I need a "With Bump, Not Plump" shirt to add to my wardrobe. I definitely have a baby belly right now, but am barely showing compared to this stage with the twins.

I've had a few different sensations this time that I don't remember from before. From time to time I've had an internal pulsing/throbbing way down low. There is no pain, it's very random and is not at all rhythmic, lengthy or consistent. I mentioned it to the nurse (because I forgot to ask my OB - forgetting to question my doctors seems to be a recurring theme with me) and she told me they call it pelvic pressure and it is something to take mental note of to make sure it isn't a contraction in disguise. I don't really think it is at this point, but I suppose it could be eventually. The only contractions I know are the ones I felt the day the boys were born. Those were the textbook abdominal cramping that came 3-5 minutes apart so I am constantly concentrating on any strange feelings trying to determine if they are a cause for worry. Other than that everything has been uneventful, for which I am grateful.

lions and tigers dragons and bears Rhys, oh my!

Happy Halloween! From our fire-breathing dragon.


Who is also a roaring lion.


We couldn't decide which costume we liked better so we dressed him up in both!

Do you remember Rhys's Halloween last year?


Poor little man was not digging it. He's grown a bit, wouldn't you say?

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Rhys had PT again last week. His therapist hadn't seen him in a month and was ecstatic at his progress since his last visit. He is getting there slowly, but surely. We are trying really hard to keep him off his back (from lying on the floor), but our options are limited. He loves his jumperoo and constantly weight shifts from foot to foot, which is great for him and his muscle strength. We also purchased him a walker. Yes, there are a lot of differing opinions about walkers, but given Rhys's situation he really needs one. While physically he isn't where he should be, his cognitive ability is more advanced and he needs this freedom to move around on his own. His PT agreed and thinks it is a great idea. She did suggest though that we get him hard-soled shoes to wear while in the jumperoo and walker to help with the potential of tip-toe walking. She also thinks it might help him get a little traction for forward movement. While I am a firm supporter of barefoot or soft-soled shoes for babies first learning to walk (as is our PT), Rhys is in a different boat. So, I'm on the hunt for hard-soled shoes for him. The boy has never had a pair of shoes on in his life so I am curious to see how he reacts to them.

The Pediasure transition is going great. And, surprisingly, Rhys has allowed me to transition him from really warm to slightly chilled bottles. I can't tell you how great this is for me... there have been too many occasions to count where Rhys was starving but refused to eat when we were out and about running errands because I couldn't get his bottle warm enough. Rhys seems to love the Pediasure. Though I haven't tasted it, it smells incredibly sweet (think melted ice cream). He has been eating about 20% more in his day time bottles, and gets really angry if you take it away before he is done. We've only tried the vanilla so far, but they have several other flavors he might like. Cost wise it seems to be maybe a bit less expensive than his formula, but only because Rhys has never taken much volume of milk. Instead of switching cold turkey, I added a little Pediasure to his formula for a couple of days. That went great so I switched him over. In each bottle I now add a small amount of whole milk to the Pediasure in an effort to keep it from being so rich. Maybe that defeats the purpose of the higher calories, but I am afraid full strength would be too much for his tummy to handle.

We've started working on the honey bear cup. I have only tried it once, and Rhys did better than I expected. Rhys is much more receptive to a straw and regular cup than he is his sippy cup. He wasn't quite sure what the honey bear was, but he did grab the straw and pull it to his mouth a couple times so I thought that was a great start. I really need to be consistent with it and practice with him several times a day. Hopefully he will get it because Mom and Dad are tired of holding his bottle!

Rhys also saw the eye doctor last week. I was a little afraid of what she'd say because even though Cody and I make Rhys wear his glasses, it isn't 24/7. Unless you've tried to keep a cannula or eye glasses or other such something on an infant/toddler you just can't imagine the constant struggle. She did give me a pair of "No-Nos" to use to keep Rhys from pulling off his glasses. They look like a shin guard and velcro around the elbow to prevent the ability of bending the arm. I haven't tried them yet, but I know they will do the trick. Anyway, she said Rhys's eyes are "straight as an arrow" (referencing his sometimes lazy left eye) with his glasses on. We've only seen Rhys's eye cross once since his first eye appointment last May, and as I've mentioned he is without them a decent amount. She said it may be that his eyes have learned how to focus properly with the help of the glasses and if that is the case there is a possibility of losing them in a few months. I'm not sure how no glasses would effect his far sightedness though, and it didn't occurr to me to ask until we'd already left. I have no doubt his doctor is aware of this though, for she remembers every single detail of Rhys and every other baby she's seen in the NICU. Her memory is the most amazing thing I've ever seen.


Today I am: 1 year, 3 months, 2 weeks and 1 day old.
Adjusted I am: 11 months, 3 weeks and 2 days old.

nutrition

Rhys's nutritionist came to see him this weekend. If you are thinking to yourself "Man, Rhys has a lot of appointments" you'd be right on! In addition to many others, he has been followed by a nutritionist since we were discharged from the NICU to ensure his diet is sufficient to meet his calorie needs for proper growth. Until we recently cut out the cereal, and really pushed the spoon/self-feeding, Rhys had been gaining weight at a rate faster than would be expected. Since then he's pretty much plateaued and has only gained about a half pound in the last two months. You'd expect this from an active 15-month old, however Rhys isn't moving around so much and isn't burning the calories his typical term counterpart is. Despite the minimal weight gain Rhys grew a bit more than an inch in one month, which bumped his height to the 50th percentile for his adjusted age (and as previously mentioned, to the 5th-10th percentile for his actual age). The nutritionist was quite stunned at this little growth spurt. Obviously Rhys is getting the nutrition he needs, else he would be growing at all, so she wasn't too concerned with his lack of weight gain. Like most of the others Rhys sees, the nutritionist treats him like a regular kid (while keeping in mind that yes he was extremely premature), and isn't one to automatically assume his prematurity is causing a particular issue. So, we will continue to watch the weight gain, and in the mean time we are going to transition from formula to Pediasure. Oh boy. The greatest problem I see with this change is that Rhys refuses to take his milk at a temperature less than really warm, no matter how hungry he is. Luke warm, room temperate, ice cold, it doesn't matter... he refuses it all. I just can't see myself heating Pediasure. This would be much easier if he could use his honey bear cup and distinguish it from the bottle, but alas that is not the case.

15 month checkup

Today I took Rhys in for his 15 month checkup. As soon as I hit the door to the pedi's office I had a mask of horror plastered on my face. There was a croup-coughing kid in a stroller right at the entrance, who I was forced to sit next to for a few minutes. Every time that kid crackled I visibly cringed, to the point that his dad noticed and started giving me strange looks. Rhys almost got run over by a little squirt flying out the door after his exam, and would have land in Rhys's lap had I not backed up. My favorite though had to be the unwatched snot-nosed toddler who came over and tried to hang on Rhys's stroller and grab his ball. I snatched it out of her grasp before she could touch it and then looked around for her parent, who wasn't paying attention. Her dad's words to her? "No honey, let's come over here, he's sick." Actually, no he isn't, and I'd like to keep it that way thank you very much so please remove your child! Ugh, I could just feel myself crawling with germs. I used almost an entire mini bottle of purell and half our germ wipes swabbing everything down multiple times. Ick.

Anyway, the pedi thinks Rhys looks great and she's happy with his development. She did comment on his lack of weight gain and I explained our recent bought of "tough love" regarding the bottle and spoon feeding. Despite not gaining much weight over the last three months, Rhys is still a chub with dimples in his knees and elbows, and has grown nicely in length. He is actually on the chart for length for his actual age, between 5th and 10th percentile. Wow! He's still a bit shy of being on the chart for weight, and his head circumference is now in the 40th percentile for actual age.

Rhys got his 15 month vaccines today. They had the N1H1 vaccine, but only the mist and neither Rhys or I can have that version. So, we're on the high priority list when they come in, whenever that is. I also got a call today to schedule Rhys's RSV shot. Poor kid. He hates getting shots. Speaking of shots, I also got the regular flu shot today. And this afternoon I have a tickle in my throat that wasn't there this morning. I really hope I am imagining it and nothing comes of it.

Today I am: 1 year, 3 months and 5 days old.
Adjusted I am: 11 months, 1 week and 6 days old.

OB/Rhys update

One of the hardest things to me about being pregnant is not being able to take my normal meds. I've never been one to pop pills for every minor ache and pain, but when I recognize the need to take something I go straight to what works. Unfortunately, what works for me is off limits while pregnant. I've never been a Tylenol-taker simply because it does nothing for me. So, lucky me - that is all I get to take for the next few months. :) The cold front this past weekend must have kicked up some pollen because I've had a serious headache and allergies the last 48 hours and have been unable to get rid of it. I joked with my OB that I must have killed my liver with the amount of acetaminophen I'd been taking. On one hand I try to take as little as possible, but on the other I've been desperate to get rid of the throbbing in my temple. My OB didn't seem concerned and even told me that I could take my OTC allergy meds since I am out of the first trimester. Hallelujah! Today was much better in terms of the headache, stuffy nose and sneezing.

Little baby looked good today, though (s)he did not cooperate during the ultrasound. My OB tried for a good five minutes to get him/her to move, thumping and nudging to no avail. I'm still a bit early (my OB will usually tell gender at 16 weeks), so hopefully we'll have a more willing participant next week when I go back! I also start my progesterone injections next week. Oh boy. Those of you who are close to me know how much I love needles! And, I've heard these shots don't hurt a bit. Can you sense the sarcasm??

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Rhys is doing well. He's still grumpy from his teeth, but overall he is taking it much better than he did last time. Remember this? Ugh, I am grateful we are not repeating that experience. So, Rhys has 2.5 teeth now. Of his four top teeth, one outside top tooth is partly through, his two middle teeth are visible and his second outside tooth is also close.

Rhys is spoon feeding better than I ever could have imagined two months ago. He will typically eat about one and a half cartons of yogurt a day. The best part? the veggies/fruits are mixed in! I really think you can have too much yogurt, but that's all he'll eat. Except of course he likes loves his ice cream. He looks a like a little bird when you pull out the Blue Bell. We're trying other foods too, but he really prefers the cold, smooth and creamy textures. I'm slowly mixing in a little of this and that (crumbled graham cracker, apple puree, etc.) into his yogurt to change the texture a bit to try to get him accustomed.

Rhys's ST (who is actually an OT administering ST to Rhys) is very happy with his progress the past several weeks. So much so that she is suggesting we focus on (a) OT for Rhys during our sessions, unless Rhys has a specific feeding concern pop up and (b) learning to drink from a straw. I know that transitioning to the straw going to be a huge ordeal. Rhys's ST recommended the honey bear with straw, which I know has been successful for many other preemies, but I really think it is going to take a while to get him interested. He still has zero interest in holding his own bottle, though I am forcing him to participate in his bottle feeding in order for him to get any milk. It's working a bit, but the boy would much prefer you do it for him!

As far as other motor skills, eh, we're still slinking at a snail's pace. Rhys has almost mastered the jumperoo. He hops around like a mad man, and constantly shifts his weight from left to right. This is incredible for him, and has done unbelievable things for his torso/head/overall body strength. The play time in the jumperoo has made me think of buying Rhys a walker. It is similar, but I think it will be more challenging for him and give him a bit more freedom once he figures it out. Under different circumstances I don't think I'd have wished for one, but given Rhys's love of the horizontal position I think it is a tool that might help him. He is now capable of sitting on his own (for noticeable, but short periods of time), however he hates sitting and will do any and every thing to get back to lying on the floor. If you want a temper tantrum that is the fastest way to get one. I typically sit with him between my legs to prevent him from intentionally falling backwards, but he has figured how to scoot his bottom out from under himself. SO frustrating. We have no idea why he is doing this. His PT thinks it might have to do with his reflux, but I am not so sure. He is using his right hand significantly more lately, and though he still only likes to eat with his left hand, he will grab for things first with his right of his own accord.

Finally, after much thought we're leaning towards getting Rhys the swine flu vaccine. Maybe I shouldn't call it swine flu, that is not exactly politically correct I hear. Anyway, Rhys has his 15-month checkup tomorrow so I am going to ask his pedi. I don't even know if our pedi office has it available right now. We are being super careful about Rhys, the same as always, and avoiding taking him anywhere unnecessary. To be honest, I am more concerned with Cody bringing it home to us than I am either Rhys or me coming down with it first. But, for our family, it is more risky given that I am pregnant and Rhys has "underlying health concerns". I am still not 100% comfortable with the vaccine, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to Rhys when I could have potentially prevented it. So I believe the benefits greatly outweigh the risks and if the pedi has it tomorrow we will be getting it!

swine flu vaccine?

I'm having a really hard time with the rampant flu outbreaks in our area. Half of everyone I know has a child with the flu/swine flu, or has had one or the other themselves. I had to register Rhys with the school district last week and thought the germs were going to attach themselves to us in the five minutes we stood in the elementary lobby! I think I stared at the door handle for a full minute before I grabbed it with a germ wipe to go inside. Rhys has received the regular flu vaccine, but I have mixed feelings on the swine flu vaccine. Every doctor I have asked says something different. His pedi didn't mention it when he received his last round of shots. My OB told me I needed it and Rhys needed it. (I don't even want it for myself!) My friends' pedi's all say something different. Is anyone getting the swine flu vaccine for their kids? I know it is especially dangerous for those of us with kids that have "underlying medical conditions". There is something about the rush for the vaccine that makes me feel uncomfortable about it, but it certainly could be a situation where the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. If in fact there are actually any real risks to receiving the vaccine.

Anyone?

burrr

We had a little chilly weather here over the weekend. Almost enough for Rhys to need a little hoodie. Unfortunately, we don't get much of a winter here in Texas so we all get a bit excited about the first dip out of the eighties. When I was in college, without fail, you'd see people pulling out the wool sweaters with the first "cold" front. I always got a big kick out of walking across campus, seeing people decked out in a puffer coat when it was seventy two degrees out.

I discovered something today that makes me feel like the worst mother ever. Rhys has his four top teeth coming in. All at the same time. His upper left tooth (beside the front, big tooth) has already broken through. I guess that explains him being such a grump lately. I'd been giving him Motrin off and on when he was fussy for no reason, but I feel really rotten that I didn't know he had teeth right at the surface. Hopefully the remaining three with break through sooner rather than later. He's been a two-toother for much too long.

Today I am: 1 year, 2 months, 3 weeks and 5 days old.
Adjusted I am: 11 months and 4 days old.